FACT SHEET: Ukraine-Related Sanctions (updated)

[ProSense]

28. "when the plutocrats start losing money, then we'll know the EU and US are serious "

Ah, there you go. So there are sanctions that will impact Russia. What of the 21 people being targeted by the EU? Still, you're now on board with the piece I posted in comment 2.

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Sanction Traction

“In order to get any traction with sanctions you have to bring the EU in and I think that will be a difficult task because of their dependence on Russian oil and gas resources,” Gunitsky said.

The EU’s bill for Russian oil and gas amounted to $156.5 billion in 2012, 38 times what the U.S. spent for Russian energy, according to the International Trade Centre’s Trade Map, a venture sponsored by the World Trade Organization and the United Nations.

Sanctions that crimp the lifestyles of Putin’s billionaire friends, such as visa restrictions and bank account freezes, might “be more effective and easier for Europe to stomach than sanctions on Russian gas,” Gunitsky said.

And energy sanctions may backfire if cutting off Russian shipments raises prices and triggers a backlash from angry European consumers.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-17/russia-s-160-billion-stick-hinders-crimean-sanctions.html